New York 2015: 2016 Jaguar XF Revealed

by Derek Kreindler

Published: March 24th, 2015

Want an F-Type but need an extra set of doors and a back seat? Jaguar’s got something for you.

The 2016 Jaguar XF gets two V6s borrowed from the F-Type (supercharged 3.0L units with 340 and 380 horsepower) as well as an 8-Speed automatic gearbox. There’s also the Jaguar Configurable Dynamics system, which can adjust suspension, steering, engine and transmission settings – sadly, the F-Type’s famous exhaust note doesn’t appear to be present.

With a structure that is now mostly aluminum, the XF loses as much as 265 lbs on all-wheel drive models thanks to a revised AWD system. Look for the full unveil at next month’s New York Auto Show.

#2016JaguarXf #Jaguar #JaguarXf #NewYork2015

Derek Kreindler

More by Derek Kreindler

Comments

Join the conversation

3 of 54 comments

Fr88 on Mar 25, 2015

I think that part of the tepid reception the XF is receiving is due to the color choice chosen for its presentation. Refrigerator White does no favors to any car, especially an R-model that substitutes chrome trim for black plastic for that, ahem, "sporty" look. A white car needs chrome trim to make it pop visually, otherwise it looks like a low-line rental. Plus white erases any visual interest that may exist in sheetmetal contouring. Visualize the car in a real color; copper, navy blue, dark red, even gunmetal grey, and its looks would improve dramatically. However, no change in color is likely to redeem that grim, low-rent interior. With all the visual interest happening in the XJ, you would think that Jaguar would have taken a hint from the C-Class (mini S-Class) and stepped up its game for interior design for the XF. Instead, it appears to have done the reverse and let the accounting staff do the design. But then, just like white exteriors, black versions of any interior are always the dullest.

Like Reply
- Corey Lewis on Mar 25, 2015
  
  You're very right on the white and black. In a navy blue metallic, with parchment interior? Certainly an improvement.
  
  Like
Fr88 on Mar 25, 2015

I took a second look at the XF pics, and found that the car's styling is growing on me. Its clean lines, delicate detailing, and tight stance suggests a trim athlete, as opposed to the lumpy, aimless pulchritrude of the sheetmetal on a Mercedes, BMW or Lexus. My only faults with the design are the lower front air intakes - hopefully toned down on non-S models - and the black triangle on the rear door window. Surely that could have been avoided somehow. I will also reserve judgment on the interior until I see one without the blackout treatment of wood and trim that comes with the "S" model. But it is unlikely to improve much since its basic design is so dull and down-market looking.

Like Reply

Recent Comments

Analoggrotto I don't see a red car here, how blazing stupid are you people?
Redapple2 Love the wheels
Redapple2 Good luck to them. They used to make great cars. 510. 240Z, Sentra SE-R. Maxima. Frontier.
Joe65688619 Under Ghosn they went through the same short-term bottom-line thinking that GM did in the 80s/90s, and they have not recovered say, to their heyday in the 50s and 60s in terms of market share and innovation. Poor design decisions (a CVT in their front-wheel drive "4-Door Sports Car", model overlap in a poorly performing segment (they never needed the Altima AND the Maxima...what they needed was one vehicle with different drivetrain, including hybrid, to compete with the Accord/Camry, and decontenting their vehicles: My 2012 QX56 (I know, not a Nissan, but the same holds for the Armada) had power rear windows in the cargo area that could vent, a glass hatch on the back door that could be opened separate from the whole liftgate (in such a tall vehicle, kinda essential if you have it in a garage and want to load the trunk without having to open the garage door to make room for the lift gate), a nice driver's side folding armrest, and a few other quality-of-life details absent from my 2018 QX80. In a competitive market this attention to detai is can be the differentiator that sell cars. Now they are caught in the middle of the market, competing more with Hyundai and Kia and selling discounted vehicles near the same price points, but losing money on them. They invested also invested a lot in niche platforms. The Leaf was one of the first full EVs, but never really evolved. They misjudged the market - luxury EVs are selling, small budget models not so much. Variable compression engines offering little in terms of real-world power or tech, let a lot of complexity that is leading to higher failure rates. Aside from the Z and GT-R (low volume models), not much forced induction (whether your a fan or not, look at what Honda did with the CR-V and Acura RDX - same chassis, slap a turbo on it, make it nicer inside, and now you can sell it as a semi-premium brand with higher markup). That said, I do believe they retain the technical and engineering capability to do far better. About time management realized they need to make smarter investments and understand their markets better.
Kwik_Shift_Pro4X Off-road fluff on vehicles that should not be off road needs to die.